Whispers in the Mind
by swabloo
Summary: Strange thoughts and dreams have been plaguing Naruto's mind.But why are they becoming more frequent and vivid?Looking underneath the underneath has taken on a whole other meaning.LoZ/Naruto crossover!Not like any other I've read before.A bit Dark
1. Part One

**A/N:** Okay, I know I really, really shouldn't be doing this, that I should be writing Insanity Reigns and The Unlikely. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning those stories – far from it – in fact, I've even written some of the next chapters. But I don't know – I guess I needed a break. This is what a one-shot does for me, as well as letting me release some of my strange plots. And this isn't even the only thing I've been writing – I've been writing a Doctor Who/ Harry Potter crossover, that's actually pretty neat, but won't be up for a while, yet – at least not until after I update my other stories.

I warn you, this is a pretty intense Naruto/LoZ crossover – have I mentioned that I've taken such a liking to xovers? – And not for the weak minded. It's pretty darn confusing, even to me, but I love it that way. Hopefully, this will broaden the horizon of Naruto/LoZ crossovers. If anyone knows any good ones, pm me!

So, here's part one of a short story (although too large to really fit into one chapter), and I hope you enjoy it and bear with me. I'd love any and all feedback – it's slightly experimental, parts of this chapter, and I'd like to know what worked for you, and what didn't.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto or Legend of Zelda. But the uppage fuckage is all mine!

**Whispers in the Mind**

**Part One**

"_I fight for my precious people."_

That was what Haku had said. It was his reason to get up, and to keep on fighting. It was what he had thought, said, done, _everything_ about him before he…

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, turning over in his bed, hands clenched, knuckles white. No! He couldn't think of it! Shouldn't remember the way Haku had fallen limply to the ground, eyes lifeless and staring, a gaping wound, raw and red and bloody –_ so much blood _– head lolling to the side, chest in a frightful stillness – NO!

His eyes were starting to get wet. Roughly, he rubbed his fist against his eyes, stemming the flow of tears with a wavering will.

_Why oh why did Haku have to die?_

Because he couldn't help Haku. He was weak. Useless. A complete failure – he knew it! Didn't need Sasuke-bastard to repeat it every hour, every day, to use it as a bloody _greeting._ That's not what friends did; they were supposed to help you up when you fell, cheer you up when you were down, and help you out when you were stuck. Not like Naruto had ever had anyone to do any of those things – it was why he stunk at anything more that what involved using force of will and strength.

So why did he keep on fighting? What was his reason to go on? Power? Acknowledgement? None of those things really mattered…

A promise? A person?

A flash, of a forgotten girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Always blurry, never seen but always there, in the back of his mind. The same girl he'd seen, dozens upon dozens of times, always unexpectedly and never clear.

Naruto felt like he would do anything for her – and he didn't even know her name, or if she existed! He laughed, a deep chuckle that was anything but humorous. Maybe he was going mad. Perhaps it was all a part of the Kyuubi's twisted power? Who knew?

The sun began to peak through the blinds, the golden rays full of whispers of a new day.

Another day, of people staring hatefully at him, and surrounded by people who didn't like him, and all with loud, happy chattering on his part. Naruto wished he didn't have to talk – wanted to stay silent, unnoticed, and stay an outcast out of their way. However, the Hokage had people following – did the old man really think he wouldn't eventually notice the ANBU trailing him? – but if he stopped talking and laughing, they would start to think something was wrong, and he hated worrying the man who had become like a grandfather to him.

So he would stick it out behind his happy mask. And train. Definitely do lots and lots of training.

oOoOo

_Fire, raging along the castle walls, casting shadows that danced along the field. A dark, cloudy night, illuminated by the destruction before him._

_Hooves impacting against the wooden drawbridge, as the black horse, laden down with demonic armour, a frightening sight – but not nearly as terrifying as the man that rode the beast._

_Heavy set, with a large nose, a sharply cut jewel crowning a head of crimson hair on sallow, dark skin, and inhuman red eyes. His mouth was twisted in a frown as he looked down at Naruto with utmost contempt._

"Where is it, boy?"

_What? What's he talking about?_

"Where's the Ocarina? I know you have it. SHE gave it to you. GIVE IT TO ME! TELL ME WHERE SHE WENT!"

_Ocarina?_

_Feeling without control of his body, Naruto reached behind and brought out a sword – Where'd he get that? – And levelled it at the man, fierce determination tensing his whole body._

_The man laughed cruelly and raised his own blade, swinging it down, throwing Naruto against the ground with a cry as air escaped his lungs –_

- And he lunged forward, gasping, hand grasping the sheets that pooled around him. What was that? A Dream? A nightmare? Not, it was too real – too focused and clear. Was he really going mad, seeing things that hadn't happened and weren't there?

He looked down at his hands _–something was missing, should be there, a shape, glowing and omnipresent- _clenched them, and looked away, out of the window. It was still the same old Konoha, bathed in the fiery glow of the rising sun. Another day gone, another night of nightmares and daymares and things that lurked in the back of his mind, in the pit of his stomach, growling something fierce out of bloodlust and want.

But what? What did they – it – want? Was it him? Something inside? His mind flashed briefly to the Kyuubi – and dismissed it, just as quickly. No, it wasn't that. It didn't feel as… demonic. It felt ancient, powerful, and yet ever so familiar.

A rooster crowed _–blue and clucking as a balding man grunted as he finally woke-_ reminding him that he hadn't dreamt up the morning, and that he did, in fact, have somewhere to be very soon, even if his good for nothing lazy arse teacher wouldn't show until much, much later.

oOoOoOo

He arrived before his teammates for a change, having not slept much the night before, and settled himself against a tree, lounging under its shade. Sasuke showed up – "Oi, Teme!" – with a grunt and a curse, shortly followed by Sakura, hot on his heels. "-Chaaaan!"

After settling down, none of them spoke, comfortable to simply sit there in silence. Sasuke sulked (or skulked), Sakura peeked looks and giggles at the dark haired youth, and Naruto stared off into space, trying to organise his mind. Was he dangerous, like this? Unstable? These strange, memory-like accounts popped up randomly, whenever he was reminded of something – although he didn't know quite yet what it was, or why he would even be reminded of something he'd never even seen before. It wasn't such a worry, except they seemed to be happening with greater frequency now.

That wasn't the only startling thing; he'd find himself, sometimes, doing odd little things that came almost naturally, yet hadn't been done before. Waking up, for instance – he'd done it so silently and still, like a battle-hardened shinobi. But hadn't he been snoring not long ago?

Cooking, for one. It wasn't that he'd gone off ramen – far from it – but he'd started to develop some sort of appreciation for vegetables and fruits, even anticipating the taste of a peach the other day – but how could that be? He hadn't eaten one before. Had he?

Suddenly, there was a poof of smoke _–with a flash as he left, once more, just a shadow on the wind, with blonde- _white hair sticking up, and a worn green vest covering a slim, well-toned frame.

"Yo, Kids," _"Greetings, Hero,"_

"I think you guys are ready for something special! I've got _–lero of fire, will transport- _forms for you guys, for _–fire temple- _the Chunin exams."

It was a bit disjointed, on its way in one ear and out the other, but Naruto caught the gist of it. "What? Are you _serious?_ The Chunin exams? Awesome!" He was quite proud that he let none of his confusion show on his face.

Sasuke "hnn'd" and Sakura look nervous.

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur, leaving Naruto looking down at the forms in his hand, wondering if he should really take part in the exams next week. He didn't feel scared, as usual. But he did have to wonder – what would happen? He'd heard of them before, of course. It was a vital part of the shinobi lifestyle, and he would eventually have to pass one if he ever wanted to become Hokage –

His musings were broken by a sharp cry, that he recognised as belonging to Konohamaru. He sped up, and was soon met with the sight of a towering teen, holding onto his friend. Apparently, Konohamaru must have done something to upset him, and the girl next to him.

As he approached, he felt _something_ about them, not much – the build of the boy, stocky and looking like the figure in his nightmares –

He moved, shouting, still a bit dazed but determined not to let them pass. They felt familiar, but trespassers, at the same time. They didn't belong in a forest.

Then a boy appeared, dressed in the clothing of thief's and warriors, ruby red hair _–tied tight and high, long and flowing, ensnaring the grains of sand as they fought, desperately- _and he just smelt of sand and dessert and blood – and another scent, beneath all that, of sharp demonic fury-

They stared, locked eyes and _knew_ each other – recognised an equal at some sort of base level-

And a rock was thrown, the arrogant Uchiha strolling in like he owned the place, asserting his authority. How dare he interrupt? This wasn't his problem – but of red and fur and ten-story monsters – even the foreigners had the sense not to interfere –

But then that intense, chilling moment was over, the redhead drawing Sasuke away with fake promises of gore and victorious battles. With one last parting look, the sand-thief trio left, and his teammate, satisfied for now, went shortly after.

Naruto left then, too, thinking that maybe he would take the exams this time, if only to get another look at the thief. There was no way he would let them in his territory without him being there every step of the way to stop them if something happened.

But they were of the dessert, and whilst not wrong definitely not nice, so something was bound to happen, anyway.

oOoOoOo

The room was filled, over stuffed – warmed by the bodies of so many Chunin hopefuls. Naruto looked around, at all the terrifying shinobi, waiting for even the slightest feel of unease, which never came.

Sakura was there, behind him, suddenly screeching – and a sound like tinkling bells followed, and as Naruto turned, wide eyed, he saw –

_-Long, flowing golden hair, dressed in purple and pink, his princess, his reason-_

Ino, standing there and fluttering her eyelashes innocently at her pink-haired friend. Crystal clear blue eyes _–clouded by love, hate, magic and knowledge, so much knowledge-_ that turned to him, freezing the world, for just a moment. Then she tore her eyes away. But Naruto could tell – something had shaken her, too. Could she recognise him – like he saw the woman of his dreams in her?

The were approached by a grey-haired older boy, who showed them the most fascinating cards – before being blown away by Genin dressed in grey wielding nothing but air – and sound – so powerful it was, calling to him – he could use sound too, couldn't he? And wind – magic –

A loud, booming voice echoed over them as a scarred man scowled his way into the room, ordering them to back off, and directing them into the next room, where the exam began. Naruto was handed a paper – really, a written exam? It had been a part of the academy, but what use could written skills be, in the battlefield?

They where told the rules – Naruto waiting to be scared by the chilling words, but coming back feeling lacking once more – and the test began. Heads bowed and pencils scribbled furiously.

He looked down at the first question, about angles and geometry and weapons – the words and numbers jumbled together, numbing his mind –

Before he stared a bit closer, and realized it was a weapon. His mind singed, and immediately, he knew – the mechanics of it coming to him from deep within his bones. And he also knew, that even though he'd never touched this weapon before in his life, and was only looking at a mathematical rendition, that he'd be able to wield it precisely if he ever came across it.

The test was over, and the scarred man started spouting off rules that he'd never heard of before – to fail? No, that couldn't happen! What the proctor was doing was unjust, and he wouldn't stand for it.

And then, after he'd ranted, inspired the rest into continuing _–you're good for the troops, they feel your courage-_ there was a theatrical bang and a violet lady sprang into the room, all legs and vicious smirks.

And just like that, he'd passed the first stage of the Chunin exam.

oOoOoOo

The three of them, Team Seven, ran into the deadly looking forest filled with _-skullkids and skull this and that and traps and twists and turns- _other, competing shinobi, that somewhere out there had the scroll they needed to pass.

There where a few skirmishes, brushing aside the smaller beasts and running from the larger ones, until one moment he was relieving himself and the next he was being attacked by a giant _–dragon, beast, body of water, a moon with a leer so fierce-_ Snake with equally big fangs, dripping with murky saliva. It lunged, and before he knew it he was down its slick throat, being squeezed from all sides as acids and kami knows what else almost drowned him as he bathed in its belly.

He couldn't think – had to move, or he would die – and lashed his hand out as far as it would go, a scorching fire of more than just chakra welling up and out of him and lashing out in a wide, burning circle, frying the serpent from the inside out as the heat was too much and it broke apart, sizzling.

With a great heave, he lifted himself up, and knew something was terribly, terribly wrong. The scent of power-lust was in the air, and heavy in the direction of his teammates.

Without a second thought he sped towards them – who knew how long he'd been gone, it was all a blur – and emerged in a clearing to shout at that stupid, stuck up Sasuke and get his ass in gear, because that mutilation of a human being, porcelain white skin and gold, hungry eyes was ready to attack and far too powerful for just him alone.

So they attacked – Naruto reaching for a sword that wasn't there – but were brutally beaten back. He became angry, retched with hate at the sight of an insane, immortal and power seeking man, beating him down – no! He would never let that happen, ever again!

- And a deep, rumbling chuckle spread from the bottom of his stomach, flaring with violent chakra and wisps of malevolent being. His brain, addled by the demon's fire, went into a frenzy of feral instincts as he once again battled a snake, this one bigger than the last –

Only for the snake-man to come up from behind him, surprise him, and lunge his open palm into his stomach and stop the demonic flow of energy – clearing his mind so quickly it overturned, unlocked treasures spilling forth as he fell down into the air and the darkness –

- And woke up hours later, with a grating headache and knowing exactly who and what he used to be.

He was in pain, and Konoha Genin were battered around him and Sasuke-teme looked ready to kill, or perhaps he just had – but all he could think about was how strange it felt to have more than one name, and how dizzy he was from merging his past minds for the first time.

oOoOoOo

He was in no shape to help as much as he could have on the journey back, and kept quiet about his change, even as they trudged past a trio of illusionist shinobi and up the steps into the tower, where they were greeted by Iruka, who congratulated them all for passing.

They were led into a chamber where a dozen or so shinobi stood in line, of different nations, those gathered having also completed this stage. They joined the throng, The Hokage rattling off the true meaning of the Chunin exams, and Sakura and Sasuke whispering harshly at each other.

A sickly man stepped forth, a sword slung over his back – and oh how he missed his own, his several, in fact – and coughed and spoke and ordered them to do battle again, right here.

It wasn't long before it was his turn to fight, against Kiba, no less. The enthusiastic dog-boy, pumped and ready for action.

Kiba grinned wolfishly, tossing teases and insults into the air, as Naruto didn't respond, not feeling up to chatting after the events that still caused him to feel dizzy with confusion as his mind sorted itself out.

Then they started the fight, blood rushing as they leapt at each other. Kiba may have been good, but Naruto – Link, was it? Wasn't the hero of time and so many other things for nothing, and not without a more than healthy amount of experience. So he ducked an dodged each and every attack, pinched a nerve cluster on the little dog, leaving it to lie unconscious as he and his master resumed battle – but not for much longer, As Naruto_Link_ took stock of his provisions, duplicating himself and then transforming his copy into a copy of his beloved master sword, which although not the real thing felt blissful in his grip as he swung it, smacking Kiba unconscious with the flat of the blade.

There was silence for a moment, before Naruto grinned in victory, sword poofing out of existing in a cloud of smoke as he casually left the arena. Passing by the shinobi still waiting to fight, he saw the thief – locked eyes with the red-head – and a word, followed by a demons' growl made its way into his mind.

"_Tanuki,"_

Uconciously, it bubbled over his lips and into the air, a whisper as it tickled the ears of the intended.

Gaara – for that was is name – froze, before his aquamarine eyes lit with a blood-thirsty glee as they stared into his.

"_Kitsune,"_ was his muttered reply.

oOoOoOo

In the evening after, Ino waited for him, by a tree stump that he wandered by. They locked eyes, and walked forward to sit next to her in silence as they looked up at the blooming sky.

They studied each other in silence, before Ino – ever the more talkative one – took the initiative.

"Link?"

It was just one word – that he hadn't heard in a long, long time, the source of which he was unable to truly believe was really before him.

"Zelda?"

But why not? If he was here, now, then why couldn't she? She had, before, and every time before that.

It was still awkward, but the hug they shared was full of longing, pain and hope. A lot of disbelief was in there, too.

"Link…?" She said again, still unable to truly believe her words. But it didn't matter, because they were together again, even if he now had whiskers (and as he shortly told her, a demon in his stomach) and her eyes clear. They were still the same, and that was all that mattered, really.

oOoOoOo

They had a month until the final stage of the exams – they both did, having passed the preliminary rounds. As Ino had mentioned, there was no way, split personality or not, that Sakura could ever overpower the sheer mental force the triforce of knowledge had given her and developed.

Ino went away to train in her magic, to learn all that she could – and she was good at that, being who she was. Naruto had no doubt that she would go above and beyond his expectations.

He, however, would be leaving Konoha. Only for a month, mind you. After meeting a hermit and getting a lesson in summoning, He found he needed to get out and find his weapons, wherever they were, and see how the world had changed, leaving a clone behind to cover for his absence.

Drifting his eyes closed, he hummed – vibrations thrumming through his being – as the notes washed over him, empowered by his magic and extra boost of chakra – it was harder to do without a tool to guide him-

And then he was gone, in a whisper of green lights that faded into the wind.

**A/N:** Still with me? If you are, expect Part Two to be up next Friday!


	2. Part Two

**IMPORTANT A/N:** All right, I know this is a lot later than when I promised. A helluva lot later. Those who asked in reviews or mentioned the lack of update (or hope of one soon) received my reply of most of my reasons – a shite load of real life stuff. For one thing, I just had my GCSE art exam – which turned out needed a lot more last minute work than I'd previously thought, and the exam left me mentally exhausted (ten hours… concentrating really, really hard – left me with an aching back, having lent over a canvas without many breaks), two essays I needed to finish – one of which was only half done. Not to mention, the fact that I still have technology coursework to do. 

But, sad as all that is, it's not the worst of what's happened, despite the highlights. My dog gave birth – or at least, tried to. Something was wrong, so she had to have a caesarean, but it worked out and we got two healthy puppies. Or at least, we thought so. I'm not going to burden you with the details, but one of the pups died after a few days – it probably shouldn't have hit us (us being my family) as hard as it did, because as pedigree bred, it's expected for at least twenty percent of the litter to die. But you see, we _knew_ something was wrong with her – there were a lot of signs. Even so, we spent hours trying to keep her alive, to keep breathing – to _live._

It didn't work. She died in my mother's hands.

So, yeah. It's been pretty stress-full, and I just haven't had much of a will to write much lately.

It shouldn't be long until the end of this story – one or two more parts, max. You will very likely notice that things flow more in this chapter. But not to worry! The hero's course does not run smoothly, as nothing ever does, and things really do change when you leave them for god knows how many centuries. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or Legend of Zelda. But the uppage fuckage is all mine!

**Whispers in the Mind**

**Part Two**

Hues of lush green and bark brown, everywhere. Everywhere Naruto looked, there was not a spec of civilization, or hints of what he knew should be beyond. Carefully, he picked his away through the forest, wary of traps.

He had arrived mere minutes earlier, on a ground strewn with moss and vines. Even though the ground was springy, the metal disk he'd landed on was unmistakable – not because of shape or colour (for he could see neither) but the dredges of magic that radiated from it, drawn by his music magic as he transported to it. He was relatively close to Konoha, he knew; the air smelled the same. This caused him to wonder – had he, in fact, been living these past thirteen years in the modern version of Kokiri village?

Ahead of him, a cliff face stood, barely visible behind yet more green. But Naruto knew what was there, and looked past the ever-strong enchantments, to see the remains of the once proud Forest Temple. It was no-longer recognisable and had probably diminished even more inside, but if he squinted towards the top of the largest, sturdiest tree, he could see what could pass off as a rather large branch – but from experience, knew it was a platform.

That wasn't the only thing that was there, though. As he turned his head, he caught the sight of _–she laughed, green hair curling around her ears, fingers swiftly moving over a carved instrument- _a slight apparition, the frame of a girl – which he quickly dismissed as it blinked out of sight, leaving the gnarled, rotten tree stump alone.

Shaking his head, he focused on the task before him. Mainly, getting back into the temple. Not needing a hook shot to get to such a height in this instance, Naruto focused his chakra and ran up the tree, reverently stepping through the hollow of what used to be the temple entrance, wary of traps and monsters that might be lurking in the shadows.

He needn't worry – all the monsters and protectors, even the foul beasts of evil magic were not there, having died out long ago.

He made his way through the temple easily enough, still remembering how to get through – thankful of Nayru's Love, which protected him from rocks that fell as he disturbed the passage.

It was a quick walk – no monsters to delay him – and there it was, preserved and looking exactly the same as the day he put it back. The fairy bow gleamed at him from its pedestal. As he approached, he noticed exactly how preserved it was – he could still see his fingerprints running along the handle. He hoisted it – thankfully, he was thirteen now, bigger than he was at ten, and definitely with more muscles. He could easily lift it, and just about use it – he'd have to practice, if he wanted to get used to the height difference.

Nothing else in the temple was safe enough to reach, so he left, with a quick glance at the tree stump, and despite himself, feeling depressed and upset. Just because Zelda was here, it didn't mean anyone else would be – there weren't even any spiritual stones or medallions any more, he'd taken care of that several centuries earlier.

He left the forest – which he now identified as once being a twisting, winding magical maze of a wood – needing to go somewhere else, the lack of joyful, familiar music weighing heavily on him.

With a whisper of red lights on the wind, he left once more. His journey was far from over yet.

oOoOoOo

He'd made a mistake, it seemed, teleporting himself straight to the Fire Temple. It must have erupted some time in the past, and all the magma had exploded everywhere, solidifying every nook and cranny. Thankfully, there was still magic held in the platform, forming a perfect dome of volcanic rock. But that was where the good luck ended – there wasn't much air, and it was running out, fast.

Quickly, he transported himself to Lake Hylia – at least it wasn't underground or underwater, and he could come back for the Megaton hammer. Perhaps it had been taken out at a later date, and was in Kakariko village? It was a possibility.

His next mistake was not thinking about possibilities of the natural disaster kind, only relying on his memories of the previous lay of the land - and landing, not on a platform, but on a seabed. Or a lakebed, if not much had changed.

He forced chakra to spike through his lungs, pushing himself off – there was no scales or tunics to help him now, just guts and determination – splashing through the surface with a deep, needy gulp of air.

He looked around, and under – the water temple was gone, not even a slight trace of it left. The Zora's had probably died out, too – and across the lake, which had grown larger, was a town that he knew, and a bridge he'd defended –

And also knew, that if any of the temple's items had remained and been found by this now thriving community, they would have been pawned off during the Gahto period, months, maybe even years ago. With a sigh, he heaved himself up onto the water – still befuddled and entranced by that new ability that really shouldn't have been possible – and ran and ran to the shore, careful not to be seen. Oh, in some twisted way these waters reminded him of – and probably were – the very same waters he'd once sailed across after the great floods. But no king to help him now, only his own two feet – just as well that he knew how to swim this time, and was less likely to drown.

oOoOoOo

It took him much longer than he remembered to get to Kakariko village – but he supposed, really, that over so many centuries the ground was bound to move sometime. Maybe the floods had done something to it, too?

The village came into sight, slowly – and he saw that it was still in fact a village. Just not even nearly the same, with very different people living inside. He wished he had his stone mask, however ugly it was, to hide him now – for before him was a ninja village, home to the iwa shinobi.

He should have guessed, really – but he'd never paid any attention to his geography lessons.

Knowing that walking in like he was would be foolish, he took off his hitai-ate and hid it, sure to come back for it later. Thankfully, his hair was now closer to it's original length, so he could tie it back slightly – but it still stuck up everywhere, spiky and short for some reason in this reincarnation.

He took off his orange jacket – he needn't mind with his pants, the orange had already faded to a dusty, muddy brown from his travels through the first temple, luckily not washing off much in the water. Just in case, he grabbed fistfuls of dirt and rubbed them in.

Now satisfied, he approached the first of the shinobi guards, ready to pull Nyru's Love at a moments notice.

"I need to speak with the village leader." -_"Where's Ganondorf!"-_

The man turned to him, suspicious. "And what does a squirt like you want, to think he can boldly request such a thing, without consequences?" -_"Hero-brat! NeeheeHahe – you'll have to fight me first!"-_

Naruto frowned. He had to pull something, fast – the ninja was reaching to his holster – "Tell him that … The rightful owner of the Megaton Hammer has arrived. And that he knows how to get through the back passage." _–"I know your game, demon! Don't think I won't"-_

The Shinobi frowned, before shrugging. "Alright kid." Then grinned viciously. "But if his reply is in the negatives, I'm taking your head before you even know I've come back."

He leapt away then, to be quickly replaced by several others, keeping a staunch watch on him.

Oh sweet Din. _Link_Naruto cursed to himself. He really, _really_ hoped that the Megaton Hammer hadn't passed out of legends, and neither had the Hero of Time.

If they had – well, he'd just have to do without his head, wouldn't he?

oOoOoOo

Thankfully – luckily – oh, it was probably divine intervention – The Megaton Hammer was still a legend in the village, having been taken from the volcanic summit long ago. Apparently, no-one could lift it, although many had tried, even the Kage's.

The Tsuchikage had requested a private audience, and soon enough, they were face to face, not even a guard in the room. The man was stern-faced, with a strong jaw and dark, penetrating eyes. He was rather stocky, wiry but powerful muscles packed tight around his arms, chest and legs, swathed in the long, flowing robes that showed his status.

"I have heard tales of the Megaton Hammer once being wielded to strike down a fiery beast, long ago, in the bowls of the nearby volcano." He paused, studying Naruto. "Through which access can be gained by a very secret passage, told only by one Tsuchikage to another. And yet, a stranger – no, a _boy_, claims to not only know this, but as the hero from legend?" He scoffed. "I'd like to see you back up your tale, boy."

_-"You're the Hero? Please, you're nothing but a boy."-_

Naruto's eyes searched the room – and there, he saw it, still in perfect condition – why was that, anyway? But it didn't matter, because there it was, behind and above the Kage's desk, proudly on display as it gleamed a powerful aura tinged with ancient magic.

Almost unconsciously, he approached it, arm outstretched, fingers brushing the hilt – and it seemed to hum from inside him, recognizing it's true master, it's wielder – the one who eons ago unlocked this treasure – clashing power with courage and rock hard metal – 

And he stepped back, knowing that he couldn't lift it, not as he was. But he knew how.

He turned back to the Kage who was watching with narrowed eyes – had he, too, felt the reaction? – and reached the centre of the room, where he had once played for the king of Gorons – and sung a sweet lullaby, his skin tingling with magic, as right before him – where the crest of the Goddesses had once been – the floor shifted, sparkles of magic and chakra flew from the air, the room itself – and meshed together, forming a very impressive treasure chest, all gleaming and glittering.

Naruto_Link – this was Link, all Link – _crouched down next to it, and placed his left palm on the lock, fingers splayed – and then courage sung through his arm and fingers and into the chest – lighting up the back of his hand, two faded triangles and one, beautiful, glowing and golden – and a loud, resound click echoed through the room as the lid opened without a creak –

And there, before him, were his Golden Gauntlets. He lifted them out, pulled them on – moulding to his new frame – then once again, determined, reached for the Hammer and brought it down from it's case, where it hadn't moved in century's, giving it an experimental swing.

The Tsuchikage stared, eyes wide with wonder. "That's unbelievable. It took several of our best Shinobi to use their most powerful jutsu, combined, to move that thing into this office. That you could do it, with naught but a pare of gloves… Incredible…"

Naruto, after examining every inch of the weapon – which didn't take long, it wasn't very complicated – stored it in a scroll taken from his pouch, next to his Fairy Bow.

He then turned to the Kage, bowing and thanking him for allowing his weapon back. The Tscuchikage was courteous, but equally cautious. After all, even though he had heard of the Hero before, was willing to believe he was real, had come back – the Hero, even in the legends, had only ever returned to fight a great evil. Whatever reason he might be back, the Kage knew they were all in peril, so let Naruto go with no fuss – he wasn't about to stand in the way, not with something like the fate of the known world balancing on the line.

Of course, the Fire temple wasn't the only one nearby – and with a wisp of purple sparkles of singing lights, Naruto vanished with the wind – towards the gravest graveyard of ghosts and ghouls.

oOoOoOo

It was… Surprisingly, the graveyard was still there. If there was one thing Shinobi respected, it was the peace for the dead.

Of course, they 'respected' the privacy of certain hungry spirits a bit more. As he appeared on the jutting rock, he saw that what used to be a royal graveyard, was now a decrepit cesspool of breeding grounds for spirits of all kinds. They where different from the ones he had once fought – they must have finally passed on, long ago. These ghosts seemed less fantastical, but equally dangerous. And they had the same cackle, too.

A hulking, dark shadow seemed to slowly lumber it's way down what could be barely made out as a path. It seemed to be carrying… A lantern?

"_I'll keep digging graves, keep digging, for I am the gravedigger, until no more there are, of graves and people of the like, keep digging, keep digging, One day they'll all need one, keep digging, digging…"_

It hit Link like a blast of cold air, then, as he realized that the grating, haunted voice had not come from a disjointed memory – but was actually there, being voiced from someone he had met before. Dampe, the gravedigger.

Naruto jumped down, and walked up to the old man – now that he could make out his form. Floating above the ground, just like before – a crazed look to his eyes, ghastly pale skin stretched over frail, hulking bones.

The ghoul turned to him, sunken eyes staring. "Oi, I know you. keke, that kid that went through my tomb, right?"

They stared at each other for a few moments, before Link decided to speak up.

"So…" Naruto began, breaking the rather cold silence, "Wasn't there a temple around here?"

Dampe cackled. "Oh yes, Hero, indeed indeed indeed there was! But no, no more!"

"What happened to it?"

"It collapsed, it did – no magic left in it to keep it up up."

Naruto waited for some more information. None came. "Why's that? I mean, all the other temples I've seen all have enough magic to keep them up – unless a natural disaster – a powerful one, at that – has hit it." He frowned, thinking hard. "Didn't I feel magic from the shadow temple, anyway?"

Dampe floated around him, a mad grin adorning his face. "Oh yess, there is magic – but not meant to keep the temple up, no. No, it is to keep the spirits in."

"Spirits?"

"Hungry spirits, ghastly, foul, twisted ghouls. They stay there, locked away, so they can't escape." Dampe looked to him again, his mad grin lessened. "You've seen what happens to people when hungry spirits come out to play, eh?"

It lanced across his mind, a sudden pain – zombie-like people, surrounded – even the children – a piercing screech that froze his very bones –

He let out a low, slow breath. No, he didn't want the undead to roam again. It seemed like he wouldn't be able to enter that particular temple – who would have thought that so much of his old life would have been destroyed? But really, he should have known – it seemed that the only things that withstood the ravages of time were Zelda and him.

He turned, then, to leave the graveyard – it spooked, and was filled with an echoing darkness that really didn't need company – when Dampe cackled again.

"I've seen so many years, I have, chained to this yard – it's keeper – I've seen a lot of things that you have missed. You'll be wanting to know what happened to your little friends, the sages, eh?"

At the reminder of his long lost friends, a grief overtook him – shook away, for a moment, the seemingly endless cheerfulness and optimism of Naruto – leaving the battle-scarred, wary Link, staring at the spirit with an unreadable gaze. "What do you know of them?" It came out hard and empty. He didn't want to hear that they were dead – long decomposed – but he had to know.

"Oh ho, they were magnificent, truly. Beings of power, protectors of the ancient. Such vessels couldn't die, not completely, anyway – their conscious, what makes them, has left the world. But their ideals and powers remain – it may be a little bit here, or a little bit there – but there are people with a few drops of that power. Their essence - passed down if they hold the qualities of such a being. They will remind you, I'm sure, of your long lost friends – but don't hold these people dear, for they are their own, not like you."

Naruto – for he was back, now, thinking of the friends, the people he'd met. One stood out, briefly, from being so recent – "There's a man, Kakashi is his name. He reminds me of the Sheikah – could it be possible that…?"

Dampe cackled again, cutting him off. "Oh ho, the Sheikah! Oh, a very strange bunch, that. No, no, they were survivors."

"Wait – you mean – there are still Sheikah in the world?"

"Well, no, not like you know them. They bred, evolved – the few that were left multiplied into hundreds – but a few things are still the same. The partial insanity, potential of betrayal. Oh, and I'll never forget those crimson orbs of theirs, either."

Naruto gaped. That could only be the way to explain it – the rush of sudden comprehension. "Th – there _are_ people with… With red eyes… Could they be…?"

"Hmmn… You speak of the Uchiha, yes? Yesss, they are decendants."

Naruto frowned, then, suspicious at this ghost. "How do you know so much, spirit?"

"I've been around for a long, long, long-long time. I may be tied to this graveyard, but that doesn't mean I don't know what's going on." It was then that he cackled once more, turning away and continued to lumber down the path, muttering to himself.

Naruto knew it was time to go – there wasn't much of it left, until the Chunin exams, so he couldn't dawdle. As he was about to hum his spell, he was stopped by a sudden voice.

"Oh, Hero, There are some things of yours you left behind."

The tombstone behind him opened – the very same one that he'd traversed, long ago, to find the secret of sun. Within the bowls, behind the traps, there lay his hookshot (longshot? Who knew – the chain was ever so long) and what seemed to be a shard of glass.

As he gingerly picked it up, Dampe lurked up behind him. "That is all that's left of the lens of truth. I dare say you could mould it into a contact lens of sorts. It may be useful – especially against those genjutsu, as you call them now."

Naruto looked down at the broken shard of glass – it had once been a powerful, magical object – was it possible that other artefacts had been lost in the same way? His thoughts were interrupted, once more, by Dampe.

"I'll give you a useful tip, Hero. Don't bother going to the spirit temple."

"What? Why?"

"It is not as it once was. The Gerudo left their valley, in search for shelter – there was a time where even the great desert was threatened. They went, then, to the most protected, isolated place they knew of…"

"The temple…" Naruto breathed, his memory of it's form still hazy, but sharpening every minute. "What happened to it?"

"Oh, they keep their lore, those Gerudo. But they also needed to survive. They mated with others, outside of their race – even more so than they used to. Their population is no longer just females, but balanced. You already know what the temple, and the construction built around it, is called now, hmmn?"

It hit Naruto, then, the sudden realization. The feelings he'd gotten when around the Chunin exams (anger, suspicion, teritorialbloodlust_familiarity)_ – "Suna!"

"Hmm, hmm-hmmnn. Watch out for the red-haired males. Those particular genes still breed insanity. It's up to you, Hero, to direct their path."

This meant quite a few terrible things. Obviously, there weren't many red-haired males from Suna, or from anywhere, really. But the few that were around, well… Could they possible be another Ganondorf in the making, or just homicidal maniacs, albeit powerful ones, at that? When he got back to Konoha, he'd have to keep a very sharp eye out for them, and find out what he could.

And look out for that racoon thief, too. He was definitely trouble.

"Oh, one more thing, Hero… Well, a few, actually. But you may want to find your purple tunic."

"I have a purple tunic?"

"You had a blue and a red one, as I recall, with very special properties. Let's just say they became one, hmmn…?"

"Right," Naruto rolled his eyes, "Look out for purple. Gotcha."

"And forget the masks."

"The… Masks:" So many masks, he recalled –invisibility,calling_power-_

"Why not?"

Dampe cackled again – was that all he could do? – "They may have had magic, but thy were not made for or by divine beings. No, they crumbled to dust, like all things do."

That may have been true, but Naruto remembered some very divine seeming masks –_It's colours were fierce, and permanent grin as the moon, large and round and evilbaringdownuponhimITWASGOINGTOFALL- -_

_-a clash of BLUEWHITElightingPOWER – and haunting, white eyes as he stretchedgrew-sofierce – a DEITY - -_

He gasped, the euphoria of the magic he had once experienced leaving him as suddenly as the memory came. No, no – those masks were probably better off, wherever they were – lost to the world.

He thanked the ghost, then, and left for the last time, he hoped, for quite a while – and decided that he had to face his fears – and hummed a song so light-

And with a whisper of magic, disappeared.

oOoOoOo

It was… Unbelievable. The haunting, sweet melody no longer echoed through the walls – but it was still _there_, teasing and touching the back of his mind, reminding him of his destiny. His reason for being.

The Temple of Time still stood – unsurprisingly, as it was built with more effort and protection by the Goddesses. It was highly likely that this temple would never fall – after all, it had survived many things; Ganondorf being the prime example.

His arrival did not come unnoticed, for a change – as this temple still stood, people still used it.

A priest, having been in the middle of a prayer at the alter _–three gleaming, shining stones-_ jumped, startled at the interruption and the heavy weight that came with Naruto's presence – intensified as it was in the place that housed his chosen weapon.

The priest turned to him, robes ornate and flowing, a look of awe and disbelief on his face. He was obviously the leader of whomever still used this place, having gold and silver threaded into his clothes – and _oh farore,_ he carried the emblem of the triforce-

_-on her hips it swayed, the crimson stitching forming the perfect curves of the holy bird – he followed the pattern with his eyes, going up and up to gaze into two pools of gleaming sapphires full of knowledge and love – -_

-And oh, the robes he wore were so familiar to the royal crest that he had seen, so long ago. Yet, at the same time, resembled greatly what Rauru wore – had worn…

The priest greeted him, then, hands shaking as he mumbled a prayer to the goddess. Not so welcoming, so stunned in a mix of suspicion and weariness that the man was. After all, living, breathing legends didn't just _appear_ – unless it was by the will of the Goddesses –

Which made Naruto wonder, then, how this man could have recognised him for who he was – for he most certainly did, as he knew that otherwise the man would have warded him away, or sent for guards. At this thought, he noticed a tingle running down his left arm, previously unnoticed as he was awash with time magic – he followed it with his eyes, to the inevitable destination – 

-to find that, even through the strong material of his gauntlets, the triforce of courage shined strong. Of course; it would take a fool not to notice, and a true priest would undoubtedly know what it meant. After all, the very same shape and design was glowing, not far in front of Link – above the double doors that lead to the gateway to another realm.

Naruto approached the doors, not needing to place any stones as a key on the altar – he'd already done this before, so surely the magic would recognise him, remember how he'd already proved himself… Hadn't he? Doubt welled up in his stomach. What if this was all a form of cruel trickery, and these so-called memories were false? What if – what if he was caught in a genjutsu, or a coma? After all, there was no way he deserved anything like Farore's favour – he was a demon brat, nothing more than a vessel…

He needn't have worried, it seemed, as the doors opened without even a creak. Cautiously, he stepped through – to find that even any dust that may have dwelled in the room had been spelled away.

All that dwelled was a pedestal. And upon that pedestal, a gleaming sword. His sword. The Master Sword.

He walked up the perfectly carved stone steps, looking in awe at the great mosaics and stained glass windows that previously he'd had no time to stop and admire. They were massive, arching things, full of colour and shapes that depicted – _him._ There was no mistaking that shade of blonde, or that colour of blue.

An odd thought crossed his mind, then, flitting through with the morals of a prankster – what would happen if he dared die his hair another colour? It made him want to laugh. Here he was, approaching his destiny, and all he could think of was changing his appearance, just to see if the Hero's power was strictly limited to blue-eyed blondes. And if the very fabric of reality would unravel if he was reincarnated as a brunette.

He could no longer dwell on this silly, uplifting thought, however – as he had reached the sword. It called to him, sung in the recesses of his mind. It turned him inside out, bared all his faults, lies, and self-doubts.

He had the Kyubi in him now, a being of pure demonic energy. Would he still be able to wield the sword, or would the magic react with the malevolent chakra, and burn at his touch?

He was currently only thirteen. When he had first tried lifting it, he'd been ten – then left in a magical coma, leaving him to sleep for seven years, until he was old enough and strong enough to wield such a mighty weapon. Would taking it again leave him to sleep for four years? Could he really risk that, when so many things hung in a delicate balance, all depending on him to keep them from falling apart?

But he had to. He'd come all this way, wrenched his heart in two, over and over, as he'd had to pass through the remains of what he'd once held dear. He had no choice, really – the Goddesses were reaching to him, calling him to once again take up the mantle of Hero of Time, destroyer of evil.

In a quick, striking action, his arm shot out, grasped the handle, and _pulled._

**A/N:** Aaand woke up four years later to find everyone was dead! HAHA! ... No, that's not what happens. But I guess you'll just have to wait for the next (and possibly final) update to find out, eh?

Over five thousand words. Not bad, I'd say. Didn't I promise I'd make this one longer: D

If anyone had any problems understanding any part of this story – which you undoubtedly will, if you don't know Legend of Zelda – then feel free to ask any questions you may have, and I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability.


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